Over on another forum that I like to lurk at for the drama and craziness, they get really offended if people with un-pedigreed/papered dogs refer to their dogs as pit bulls, or AmStaffs, or APBT's or whatever as opposed to a "pit mix" or "pit bull type dog" or "mutt." They feel that even if your dog looks purebred, no matter the breed, if it's not papered it should be referred to as a mutt or mix. I disagree with that - if somebody adopts a dog that looks like a purebred GSD or Lab or whatever from a shelter, then let them say "it's a Lab/GSD/whatever." I tell people Inara is a pit bull or APBT because, well, she looks like one and acts like one and came from a ghetto fight ring.

So what do you guys think - if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, is it a duck? Or is it a duck mix because it doesn't have papers?

"Remember - every time your dog gets somewhere on a tight leash *a fairy dies and it's all your fault.* Think of the fairies." http://www.positivepetzine.com"

The only thing that chaps me is when a person has an unpapered dog and refers to it as an American bulldog or American staffordshire terrier because IMO onless it has papers saying otherwise it is a pit bull. And really it only irks me because most people claiming these breeds are just trying to fool people into thinking their dog is something other than a pit bull. I do think if it looks like a pit it's a pit but when people start claiming less common breeds I just look the other way. That's like I had a neighbor with a springer mix trying to claim the dog was a munsterlander - the breed is super rare. She never had the dog inspected by a breed judge or anything and would brag about this dog even though it had no papers to prove it's breed. For the most part I think a spade is a spade but it irks me when people think their dog is something it isn't.

I call Os an AmBull cross because it has become apparent to me that he is that. I used to call him a Pit Bull because he does look very Pit Bully, but the length of all of his limbs and body, and his weight, and more education on my part tell me he isn't just a Pit Bull.

I consider it a reference to a dog's general appearence If the dog is an actual purebred, I use the proper breed name, "American Staffordshire Terrier", "American Pit Bull Terrier", etc

It doesn't honestly bother me either way, unless someone is totally off on what they are calling their dog, that gets me.

I can only please one person per day. Today is not your day, tomorrow doesn't look good either.
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"You didn't know of the magical powers of the break stick? It's up there with genies and Harry Potter as far as magic levels go." SisMorphine 01/07/07

Well, they seem to be getting their panties in a bunch for nothing. I mean, are THEIR papers good papers, fake papers, papers from a useless association that could make me a purebred poodle if I sent in a form? Papers are what they are, a piece of tree pulp, and some dogs are more "their breed" than some that have them.

On the other hand I always cringe when people come in with their Grand-Doodle (yes, a great dane, poodle mix) and I always correct them, "You mean, a X and X cross"? in a candid way (that is, if I can figure out what it is from the dog's look).

I call Lily a American Staffordshire Terrier, as thats what her "Papers" from Lollypop said she was! haha

The other day at the vet's a little old lady was looking at her outside. She started to approach us, and asked me what kind of dog she was. Well, for fear of the "OH NO: I said, "American Staffordshire Terrier".She said, "a what?" So, then I said, "Pitbull!" She said, "oh she's adorable", and came up with he hand out for Lilly to sniff. She said, what a beautiful dog, and patted her on the head.

You never know!

Anyways, I'm not a firm believer of the- If it looks like a Pit it's a Pit. Thats BSL talk.

I don't honestly give a crap what anyone calls their dog...I might scowl or laugh behind their backs, but I don't *care*.

UNLESS...you are passing the dog off to earn special points somewhere. We just had this debate in the flyball community...where breed rankings are posted on the website. The Wiener is the #4 miniature smooth-coated dachshund in NAFA...I like to brag on that.

But if your dog is NOT REALLY A DACHSHUND, don't register him/her as such...because it's just not cool.

My basset hound (long passed), is still ranked as the #4 basset hound in NAFA. The top dog? A basset/lab mix. The owner bragged to me that he was a mix...sent me pics, he's got a lab head, but shorter legs. and he's all black. Not a basset!

"I don't have any idea if my dogs respect me or not, but they're greedy and I have their stuff." -- Patty Ruzzo

"Dogs don't want to control people. They want to control their own lives." --John Bradshaw

TheRedQueen wrote:The Wiener is the #4 miniature smooth-coated dachshund in NAFA...I like to brag on that

as am I

I can only please one person per day. Today is not your day, tomorrow doesn't look good either.
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"You didn't know of the magical powers of the break stick? It's up there with genies and Harry Potter as far as magic levels go." SisMorphine 01/07/07

Even when they have "papers" it doesn't mean shit. This dog is clearly a DDB mix, but its papers say APBT, so we're supposed to believe it? Not hardly.

Riggs is from one of the original lines registered in the AKC, Tacoma. He's about as papered as an Am Staff can be. Connor is pure dumpster, but I don't doubt for one minute he's any less of a pure bred APBT than Riggs.

Michelle

Inside me is a thin woman trying to get out. I usually shut the bitch up with a martini.

That also drives me crazy! I think once on ... a dramatic place... I thought I was making a good point my saying "If only registered, proven APBTs 'count'...then we should discount anything almost everyone in this community." but no one ever responded to me, or at least I don't think so.

I get REALLY confused when people make such statements about breed specifics, and then want to talk BSL and responsible ownership... I can't help thinking, "OHHH, so my dogs only get included whenever someone wants to ban them, but when it comes to everything else they're just mutts ?" I mean yes, they are technically mutts; I have no idea what their heritages consist of or where they came from...but I'm quite certain they qualify as 'pit bulls'. (The only one I really ever try to clarify on is that we think Boss could be a bulldog mix of some kind, but still...same thing.)

I'm with everyone else though... if the dog is a 'purebred' (or I guess papered), it's an APBT, Amstaff, Staffy, Ambully...if it's like the majority of the dogs (I have come across online and in person) it's a pit bull.

~Brittany, Degan and Harlow's mom

"It is true that Pit Bulls grab and hold on. But what they most often grab and refuse to let go of is your heart, not your arm."

copperlegend wrote:Kia's a pit bull. Nadia's a pit mix. Even though Nadia could totally pass for a non-pit mix, I want people to realize that good dogs can be pit bulls and vice versa.

This is why I always tell people that Score and Puzzle are pit mixes...I have no idea honestly, but Score looks enough like the *known* pit/lab mixes that I've seen, and Puzzle looks enough like a pit mix...because they're both well behaved and gentle, I refer to them as pit mixes. People don't know what a pit bull is anyway...so why not push some good dogs in their faces and label them pit mixes?

"I don't have any idea if my dogs respect me or not, but they're greedy and I have their stuff." -- Patty Ruzzo

"Dogs don't want to control people. They want to control their own lives." --John Bradshaw

I don't get why it is a big deal for someone to call their dog something other than a Pit Bull, even if that is what it is. To people I meet out and about, Dylan is a Pit Bull mix. That is not how I register him with the county or AC licensing however. It makes me feel a little bit better that if something comes down the pike as far as BSL or something that maybe they will drag their feet a little bit coming to my door.

Papers don't make the dog and they never will. A pedigree is nothing except a prediction of what a dog SHOULD be. And puppies/dogs are still a big crapshoot. I would take an unpapered, unregistered hell of a dog over a mediocre pedigreed dog any day of the week.